If you are a food lover, this is a must to read!

I really enjoy it, The narrations are outstanding, and the descriptions of the characters and foods makes you feel the food in your mouth…

it is really sad that it is not available in Spanish.

8 people found this helpful

No Elegance of the Hedgehog

This book does stand alone as a well written piece of fiction, however as I bought it after falling in love with Muriel Barbery's "Elegance of the Hedgehog" I think it is worthwhile comparing the works.

The narrators in the Hedgehog draw you in as co-conspirators, you love them & are firmly attached to their stories. Gourmet, however does not achieve this result with Mr Arthen, and I don't think it is meant to. Mr Arthen is not a likeable character, however by the end of the novel there is a certain understanding between the reader & the narrator. He lacks "humanity", a critical aspect of Hedgehog.

Neither is one sympathetic to his family. This is in part due to some whiny narration.

The food descriptions in the book are remarkable. However I don't read food reviews & no matter how good, these did little to engage me.

This lacks the language, beauty & philosophy evident in Hedgehog & is therefore disappointing.

On it's own it is a good story, well told, if you can cope with the whining narrative of some of the family members.

5 people found this helpful

CRINGEWORTHY narrations. Read the printed book.

Would you recommend Gourmet Rhapsody to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend the printed copy.

Any additional comments?

The writing by Muriel Barbery is beautiful and vivid and it is a shame that it is tarnished by awful narrations. The narrations are so contrived and over-acted that they became more of a distraction. They built the figurative wall between me and the characters. I simply couldn't bear listening to the affectations in the voices for more than a chapter at a time.

And the post-production of the audio makes certain narrators sound mechanical. And there is nothing worse than over-acted narrations with vocal fries that are being digitally sped-up or slowed-down.

If The Elegance of the Hedgehog is an Entreé, this book is more of an Hors 'dOevres. It lacks the depth of humanity and philosophy that is so present in The Elegance of The Hedgehog.

1 person found this helpful

didn't care for the story

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Great actors, couldn't ask for more

Would you ever listen to anything by Muriel Barbery again?

Yes, I like her work.

What three words best describe the narrators’s voice?

Calm appropriate enthusiastic

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Gourmet Rhapsody?

none, I just didn't like the story premise.

Any additional comments?

None

1 person found this helpful

A Quirky Read

I love this author. This is a book that stays with you after finishing it. Thought provoking and deep.

1 person found this helpful

Absolute delight!

This is a sublimely delicious piece of literature. Many pages made me think of Marcel Proust, although his madeline episode sounds stale and faded when compared to any literary morsel by Ms. Barbery. Move over Marcel! The next dinner party will be a la Muriel Barbery